dimanche 29 mars 2015

Solar Impulse 2 flew to China

Solar plane took off before dawn Monday in Mandalay, Burma's second largest city, Chongqing in China, fifth stage of this round the unprecedented world.

The single-seater plane the team spent more than a week to wait in Mandalay as weather conditions improve in south-western China to begin one of the most difficult stages of this attempt to turn the world.

Since the mission control station in Monaco, Prince Albert gave direct permission to take off the pilot Bertrand Piccard. "Bertrand is Albert, you can go. Good flight, "said Prince Albert.

"Thank you my friend," replied the pilot before take off to 3:35 local time (9:05 p.m. GMT Sunday) at a distance of 1375 km he should accomplish in 18 hours.

Solar Impulse2 take off from Mandalay

Extreme cold

Bertrand Piccard, who is one of two Swiss pilots of Solar Impulse 2 will face extreme cold with temperatures down to -20 degrees Celsius in the cockpit and the difficulties of flying in mountainous provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan in China.

He will fly over an area isolated from the border area between Burma and China, where intense fighting between rebels of the Chinese Kokang ethnic majority in the Burmese army.

Image above: Comment of Bertrand Piccard: I have sunrise just in front of me DURING my flight to Chongqing!

SI2, left Abu Dhabi on March 9, has to travel 35,000 kilometers in total solar energy alone flying over two oceans. This convolution take five months, including 25 days of actual flight before returning to Abu Dhabi late July / early August.

Scheduled 12 stages around the world is the culmination of 12 years of research by André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard, who in addition to scientific achievement, seeking to convey a political message.